Universal component lift apparatus, assemblies, and methods for electronic device manufacturing

Abstract

Universal component lift apparatus for moving components of electronic device manufacturing systems is described. The universal component lift apparatus includes a track, a truck moveable along the track, and a lift apparatus adapted to couple to the truck, the lift apparatus including a wheeled base, a lift portion, and a boom adapted to couple to the component. Electronic device processing systems and methods of moving components thereof are described, as are numerous other aspects.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A component lift assembly, comprising:
 one or more tracks; 
 one or more trucks moveable along the one or more tracks; and 
 one or more lift apparatus adapted to detachably couple to the one or more trucks via a vertical downward insertion of a truck engagement feature of the one or more lift apparatus into a lift engagement feature of the one or more trucks, the one or more lift apparatus including a wheeled base, a lift portion, and a boom adapted to couple to a component; 
 wherein the lift portion includes a stationary portion and a vertically moveable portion that is telescopeable relative to the stationary portion, the boom is coupled to the vertically moveable portion at an uppermost portion thereof, such that a portion of the boom intersects a vertical axis of the vertically moveable portion, and the wheeled base further includes two or more stabilizers configured to extend downwardly from an underside of the wheeled base, and further configured to engage a floor. 
 
     
     
       2. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tracks comprises a monorail including a captured channel which is adapted to capture one or more trucks therein. 
     
     
       3. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tracks comprise a monorail mounted in an under-floor configuration. 
     
     
       4. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the floor comprise a plurality of tiles. 
     
     
       5. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the one or more trucks comprise a truck frame and four or more truck wheels rotationally coupled to the truck frame and adapted to engage the one or more tracks. 
     
     
       6. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the one or more trucks comprise one or more side wheels. 
     
     
       7. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the one or more trucks comprise a truck frame and truck wheels and side wheels rotationally coupled to the truck frame, and the truck wheels and side wheels are configured to run in slots. 
     
     
       8. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the one or more trucks comprise two or more lift engagement features adapted to detachably engage with two or more truck engagement features of the lift apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the wheeled base comprises two or more truck engagement features adapted to detachably engage two or more lift engagement features on a truck of the one or more trucks. 
     
     
       10. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the boom includes a plurality of boom portions. 
     
     
       11. The component lift assembly of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the plurality of boom portions include articulation capability. 
     
     
       12. The component lift assembly of  claim 1 , comprising a first lift apparatus coupled to a first truck, and a second lift apparatus coupled to a second truck, and wherein respective booms of the first lift apparatus and the second lift apparatus are coupled with a bridge bracket. 
     
     
       13. An electronic device processing system, comprising:
 a plurality of substrate processing tools positioned on a floor, each of the substrate processing tools including one or more components; 
 one or more lift assemblies adapted to lift or lower one or more of the components, comprising:
 one or more tracks; 
 a truck moveable along each of the one or more tracks; and 
 a lift apparatus adapted to detachably couple to the truck via a vertical downward insertion of a truck engagement feature of the lift apparatus into a lift engagement feature of the truck, the lift apparatus including a wheeled base, a vertical lift coupled to the wheeled base, and a boom coupled to a vertically moveable portion of the vertical lift and adapted to couple to the one or more components; 
 wherein the vertical lift includes a stationary portion, and the vertically moveable portion of the vertical lift is telescopeable relative to the stationary portion, the boom is coupled to the vertically moveable portion of the vertical lift at an uppermost portion thereof, such that a portion of the boom intersects a vertical axis of the vertically moveable portion, and the wheeled base further includes two or more stabilizers configured to extend downwardly from an underside of the wheeled base, and further configured to engage the floor. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device processing system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more tracks comprises a plurality of tracks and a plurality of identical lift apparatus each coupled to a respective truck moving along each track. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device processing system of  claim 13 , wherein the truck comprises two or more lift engagement features adapted to detachably engage with two or more truck engagement features on the lift apparatus. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device processing system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more tracks are mounted under the floor. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device processing system of  claim 13 , wherein the truck engagement feature comprises one or more pins extending from the wheeled base configured to be received respectively in the lift engagement feature comprising one or more holes formed in a frame of the truck. 
     
     
       18. A method of moving a component of an electronic device processing system, comprising:
 providing a track including a truck; 
 positioning a lift apparatus, including a wheeled base, above the track; 
 coupling the lift apparatus to the truck via two or more truck engagement features on the lift apparatus adapted to detachably engage with two or more lift engagement features on the truck by vertically inserting downward the two or more truck engagement features into the two or more lift engagement features; 
 extending a plurality of stabilizers downwardly from an underside of the wheeled base and into engagement with a floor; 
 coupling a boom of the lift apparatus to the component; 
 lifting the component by moving the boom; and 
 moving the lift apparatus along the track to a desired location; 
 wherein the lift apparatus includes a stationary portion and a vertically moveable portion that is telescopeable relative to the stationary portion, and the boom is coupled to the vertically moveable portion at an uppermost portion thereof, such that a portion of the boom intersects a vertical axis of the vertically moveable portion.